Knowledge = Power

Power consumption has always been relatively invisible to us as consumers. We learn of our usage after the fact, and are usually barely aware of the shadowy figure who flits into the back yard once in a blue moon to read the meter. And because of this, our attempts to reduce consumption always smack a bit of faith healing--we trust that buying EnergyStar appliances and CFLs are bringing our useage down, but the evidence of our success is highly interpretive--we're never really sure which action has had the most impact on our habits. This is where the Watts Up? meter can help.

A device that allows you to "accurately and quickly determine the cost of everything you plug in," the Watt's Up unit comes in two flavors, the standard unit for around $100, and the deluxe $200+ model, which allows you to monitor your useage live, via wifi, from anywhere in the world. You can use the Watts Up to identify sources of power leakage, ferret out phantom loads, and to calculate the payback on energy saving appliances, and to experiment with which energy saving practices yeild the most savings for the least effort or sacrifice.

If you're building a home, Watt's Up? can be used during the installation of your electrical system, preventing waste based on miscalculations and design errors. Come to think of it, Kevin could have used one of these in Episode Nine, when he was troubleshooting his own electrical installation.

Thanks to the Alternative Consumer for the tip.